Scientific research proposal

src/en/space-station-14/departments/science/proposals/scientific-research-proposal.md

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+# Scientific research proposal
+
+| Designers     | Implemented | GitHub Links |
+|---------------|-------------|--------------|
+| chromiumboy   | :x: No      | TBD          |
+
+## Problem statement
+At present the science department faces several key gameplay issues when it comes to unlocking items through scientific research. These include (but are not limited to):
+-	A large number of research projects that can be considered ‘filler’. These projects unlock either very niche or very common place items on the station; a choice between unlocking magboots, hydroponic trays, or buildable research disk terminals is not compelling for the player. 
+-	Due to the high proportion of filler projects at lower research tiers, typically one project will be seen as the ‘optimal’ choice to research (generally either in the industrial or experiment disciplines), leading to many niche items being ignored in the early to mid stages of the shift when they would be most useful, as well as a sense of sameness in technology unlocking despite the research projects being presented at random.
+-	Many research items seem to be under costed with respect to the current ease of points generation. This leads to shifts where all research projects can be readily completed, particularly during longer than normal shifts and / or shifts that have a large research team.
+-	Once all research projects have been completed, there is no longer any compelling reason to conduct any further research.
+
+## Proposed changes
+The changes to scientific research outlined in this proposal have been devised in an attempt to alleviate the issues listed above. These changes include:
+-	Making all low-tier / filler researchable items available to print at round start. These include items such as proximity sensors, TV circuit boards, and surveillance camera equipment.
+-	Making the more desirable mid-tier researchable items (e.g., RCDs, lasers, and high-capacity batteries) also available to print at round start, but with the caveat that science points are required as part of their construction. Lore-wise, this can be explained as the technology already being widely known, however, you need to purchase technology licenses from NT in order to print them. 
+-	Scientists can print technology licenses from the tech disk terminal, exchanging their research points for discipline specific licenses (e.g., a single civilian technology license might cost 150 research points, a single industrial technology license 250, and a single arsenal technology license 350).
+-	These licenses can then be fed into (or ejected from) an appropriate lathe just like any other resource material (e.g., arsenal technology licenses can be inserted into security and ammo fabs, civilian technology licenses into medical fabs, and experimental technology licenses into protolathes).
+-	Licensed items require a number of licenses that correspond to their relative power / usefulness (e.g., a laser carbine might require five licenses to print, in addition to their other base materials, while a box of incendiary ammunition might only need one license). 
+-	The highest tier / most powerful technologies (e.g., bluespace backpacks, speed boots, teleporter pads; perhaps a dozen technologies all up) would still need to be researched the traditional way, requiring an expenditure of research points at the R&D computer to unlock (in addition to the license cost to print them afterward; unfortunately, NT owns all patentable technology produced by their research staff). However, each of these research projects now requires a vast amount of research points to unlock, in the range of hundreds of thousands. The ultimate goal is that unlocking a new technology should be a relatively rare occurrence within the shift, with perhaps only two or three unlocks per shift being common.
+
+## Benefits of the proposed changes
+The proposed changes seek to shift scientific research from being a short-term and low-impact activity to a long-term goal for the shift, while still allowing the science department to outfit the crew with limited amounts of specialized high-tech equipment by exchanging their research points for technology licenses.
+
+The benefits of this approach can be summarized as follows:
+-	All filler research projects that attract little interest would be removed from the pool.
+-	Niche tools and items will always be available to the crew (the janitor can actually get an advanced mop when they ask for one) but these items still require research to obtain.
+-	The total number of advanced items on the station can be controlled, to a degree, because there is a large research cost involved in producing them in bulk.
+-	Thanks to the license system, the science department is always (nominally) in control over how their research points are spent.
+-	That said, the science department will have to strike a balance with their research point spending, furthering their own research projects versus producing advanced items for the crew (a potential source of roleplay conflict that will require negotiation and cooperation to resolve).
+-	The research team can spend their shift working directly towards the cooler, more impactful science projects rather than wading through a collection of projects they care little about.
+-	The smaller number of projects that can feasibly be completed in a shift means that the research project randomization has a greater impact on how the round plays, decisions on research direction become much more important, as well as giving a strong sense of satisfaction when a project is completed.
+-	Even if the research team were somehow able to complete all research projects in a given shift, they remain incentivized to continue their research in the late game so that they can continue to produce new items for the crew (i.e., there is an ongoing research point sink).
+-	While rounds with larger player counts mean there be will larger research teams, there will also be more players demanding licenses for advanced items, which provides some means of self-regulating research progress (whereas no such mechanism exists at present).